Batya Blankers, co-founder and CEO of Chancen International; Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu

On the evening of Thursday 12 November 2026, the presentation ceremony for the Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance (LAIF) took place at the premises of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, in the presence of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

The ceremony, hosted by Avanti Sharma, welcomed around 250 attendees to the anniversary ceremony celebrating two decades of initiatives advancing financial inclusion around the world, under this year’s theme of “Unlocking Youth-Inclusive Finance”.

The event began with an opening speech from Lionel Rapaille, Deputy Director General at the EIB, who began by stating: “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Our struggle is to close that gap. For a young person with a brilliant idea, but with no great history. For a woman with a business experience, but with no collateral. For a farmer with uncertain harvests. This is exactly what Inclusive Finance is about.”

Lionel Rapaille stated that in 2025, the EIB group delivered €100 billion in financing to support infrastructure, innovation, energy, and to “build stronger economies”, with EIB Global delivering €9 billion in financing outside the European Union, around half of which was designated to vulnerable countries.

“Youth inclusive finance is much more than just bringing a loan to the European Union. It is also about supporting businesses where young people will be trained. Where they will have a chance of employment. Where they will be able to build their own future. Young people need a first chance.”

Attendees were then shown a video detailing various initiatives supported over the past 20 years through the inclusive finance initiative. This was followed by a video interview with Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in which she remarked on her admiration for women around the world, “their strength, their resilience, their capacity to fight against the worst odds” and the background to her discovering the “revelation” of microfinance to help “the poorest of the poor to get out of the cycle of poverty”.

The Grand Duchess stressed that perspective is crucial in being able to provide this type of assistance, stating: “I think that the essential is to sit down and to respect above all the person that you have before you. Not think that because we come from rich countries and maybe with much more education that we know better. No, we do not. At all. We know nothing. Because we are not in their position. They know. So the important thing is to sit next to them, to listen to them, and to say why, and how, and what do you need, and what do we have to do to help you.”

“If we do not help them at the beginning with a credit, and even the ones who seem the most lost, we are missing out on the construction of a better future for ourselves.”

Emmanuel Nzanana, representative of Rwandan micro insurance company RADIANT YACU Ltd. - winner of the 2025 Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance - was then invited to the stage for an interview with Avanti Sharma, in which he described the impact the award had had on the association, remarking: “It has elevated our work, and it has increased our international visibility. It has given us a breadth of opportunities to share our experience. Most importantly, it has strengthened our determination to continue innovating and expanding our services.”

Looking to the future, he said: “We have to design economical solutions accessible and beneficial to our community. We want also to continue strengthening our partnership with our distribution channels, especially financial institutions, operatives, and other development partners, in order to make sure it is simpler and easier to understand, and first, to deliver to those who need it most.”

“Our message for this year's finalists and the winner, and for the entire community in general, winning an award is not a final destination. Winning an award is a call for additional responsibilities... this [award] has shown us the importance of innovation, and we wish to call upon those who are investing, and the future people who will be competing for this award, that they should be focusing on their core mission, and to learn from one another, and continue developing solutions that are making a difference in people's lives”, said Emmanuel Nzanana.

Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, then delivered a pre-recorded video message in which he noted that around 9% of the world's 1.8 billion young people live in low- or middle-income countries and face significant barriers to unlocking their future, be it through lack of access to quality education, employment opportunities, quality assets or financial services. 

“Yet they also represent the future of tomorrow. There are many young labourers, entrepreneurs, workers and change-makers today. Providing them with the tools to build their own future is not only a right for today. Inclusive finance for education, skills development and entrepreneurship support can help young people seize opportunities, strengthen their economic resilience and make entire economies flourish. Luxembourg's development cooperation is helping young people if they invest in sustainable development, in social inclusion and long-term global stability. This commitment reflects Luxembourg's broader engagement in international solidarity”, said Minister Bettel.

The event’s keynote speech was then delivered by Indian social entrepreneur Jeroo Billimoria, who spoke of People & Planet Week - the global initiative to highlight grassroots innovators, community changemakers and social solutions working to improve people's lives and protect the environment - and the Government Council for Social Innovation (GCSI) - the international coalition established in Luxembourg in April 2025, designed to embed social innovation into public policy, finance and service delivery. 

On the subject of the evening’s award, she remarked: “Inclusive finance starts with children. Inclusive finance starts with all the young people...Because they are the future and they are going to take it forward.”

The ceremony then continued with a video presentation of each of three finalists for the 2026 Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance, and a live interview with representatives from each of the associations: 

• Chancen International - a financial inclusion non-profit organisation that provides ethical education financing to youth in Sub-Saharan Africa;

• Fundación Paraguaya - a non-governmental organisation that works to eliminate multi-dimensional poverty and youth unemployment through practical, self-sustaining community solutions in Paraguay;

• iFarmer - a technology-driven agricultural and fintech platform based in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Laurence Hulin, chairwoman of the jury/selection committee for the Luxembourg Award for Inclusive Finance then took to stage to announce the winner of the award. Before announcing the winner she congratulated each of the finalists and said the selection process had been “a very hard and difficult task” with all three projects “inspiring”.

The winner award was then presented to Batya Blankers, co-founder and CEO of Chancen International, who thanked the organisation’s investors, the “amazing team that we have across Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa” and the “young people who have believed in us and trusted us”.

The ceremony concluded with a cocktail reception and an exhibition detailing the work of each of the finalists.